Automatic sizing apparatus



March 3, 1942. c. w. HERRIN AUTOMATIC SIZING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 18, 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 RR Smaentor Charles WHerr/in,

,By I (Ittorneg;

March 3, 1942. c. w. HERRIN 2,274,960

AUTOMATIC S I Z ING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 18, 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Charles W'hernz'fi,

J51) Qttomeg.

March 3, 1942. c. w. HERRIN AUTOMATIC SIZ ING APPARATUS Filed Jan 18, 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Inventor (Iktorneg CharZes Wfferri m,

. R I am, QQI l3 ww Patented Mar. 3, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AUTOMATIC SIZING APPARATUS Charles W. Herrin, Kansas City, Mo. Application January 18, 1940, Serial No. 314,443 I (01. 2o9 99) 6 Claims.

crushed ores, gravel, sand and other gold bear- .ing materials.

In accordance with the present invention means are provided for forming one or more longitudinal slots of narrow width through which only the finer particles of the material being sized may pass. The finer particles when thus separated from the coarser particles are approximately of uniform size and therefore ready to be sorted in accordance to their different specific gravities by running them through either of my automatic separators above referred to. After the finer particles have been separated from the coarser these are run through another unit of the present invention in which the slots are set for passage of the next larger particles. These operations may be repeated until all or approximately all of the remaining particles have been sorted according to their different sizes by running them through other units in which the width of the slots are progressively enlarged.

Each unit of the present sizing apparatus preferably has means for adjusting the width of the slots to separate the different sizes of particles from the finest to the coarsest, but for continuous operation time is saved by providing a unit for each size instead of stopping to adjust the slots of a single unit to separate the different sizes.

Means are also provided for agitating and spreading the material along the slots to facilitate passage of the finer particles through said slots and for preventing the latter from becoming clogged with the material.

In order that the invention may be fully understood, reference will now be had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the apparatus with some of the parts broken away.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation partly in section of the apparatus with some of the parts. remove-d. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the apparatus.

Fig. 4 is an end elevation, partly in section of the apparatus with the sprocket mechanism disclosed by Fig. 3 removed.

Fig. 5 is a vertical cross section on line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail of part of a pawl and ratchet mechanism employed in carrying out the invention.

Fig. '7 is a vertical section on line (-7 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 8 is an. elevation of the parts shown by Figs. 6 and '7.

In carrying out the invention I provide a multiple of conveyers designated by the numerals l to 5, inclusive, which are spaced one below the other and arranged preferably on a horizontal plane as shown by Figs. 1 and 2. The receiving end of the uppermost conveyer I communicates with a hopper 6 into which the material to be separated is fed. The discharge ends of conveyers l and 3 communicate with the receiving ends of conveyers 2 and 4 through downspouts 8 and I2, while the discharge ends of conveyers 2 and 4 communicate with the receiving ends of conveyers 3 and 5 through down-spouts Ill and I4, respectively.

Conveyers l to 4, inclusive, each comprise a pair of parallel members l6 and a rotary auger 18, which latter is housed between the former. Conveyer 5 comprises a tube and an auger 19. The parallel members [6 may be of any suitable cross sectional configuration, but are preferably of arcuate cross section as shown by Fig. 5 and spaced apart to leave longitudinal openings 20 between their upper portions and longitudinal slots 22 between their lower portions. The parallel members l6 of the upper conveyer I are mounted at their ends in sleeves 24 and 26, the former of which also encircles a discharge pipe 28 leading from the hopper 6 to the receiving end of the conveyer I, while sleeve 26 forms a part of the down-spout 8, which also has a sleeve 30 at its lower portion in which the receiving end of conveyer 2 is mounted.

The remaining down-spouts Ill, 12 and I4, like the down-spout 8, are provided at their upper and lower portions with sleeves 26 and 30, respectively, to receive the adjacent ends of the associated conveyers. The lower portions of the sleeves 24, 26 and 30 have slots 25, 21 and 3| registering with the respective slots 22, as shown by Fig. 5. The parallel members It of the conveyers are adjustably mounted in the respective sleeves primarily to permit them to be turned axially to vary the width of the respective slots 22 and incidentally to vary the openings 20.-

Each pair of parallel members I6 is secured in its adjusted position .by means of studs 32 and nuts 34, two of which former are fixed to each member I6, (one near each end) and project through slots 36 in the associated sleeves.

All of the down-spouts are supported by a pair of standards 38 to which they are secured by suitable means such as angle-irons 48. Transverse members 42 are secured to the lower ends of standards 38 to hold the same in upright position.

The uppermost auger I8 is journaled in bearings 44 and 46 mounted in one of the standards 38 and the outer end of the hopper 8, respectively, while the augers forming part of the conveyers 2, 3 and 4 are journaled in bearings 44 1 carried by the standards 38. Auger I9 is journaled at one end in a bearing 41 and at its opposite end in a bearing 44. In the present instance all of the angers are of the right hand type, but those forming part of the conveyers I, 3 and 5 are rotated in a direction to move the material to the left, while the remaining angers are rotated in a reverse direction to move the material to the right as indicated by the arrows, Fig. 2.

This is accomplished by providing the left ends of the augers forming part of the conveyers I to 4, inclusive, with fixedly mounted sprocket Wheels 48, 58, 52 and 54, respectively, and driving them with an endless sprocket chain 56 which engages the rear portions of the sprocket wheels 48 and 52 and the front portions of sprocket wheels 58 and 54 as shown by Fig. 3. The auger forming part of conveyer 3 is also providedat its right end with a fixedly mounted sprocket wheel '5'I, which, through an endless ch'ain 58, drives a sprocket wheel 68 fixed upon the right end of the auger I9 and thus drives the latter in the proper direction to discharge the coarse material at the left end of the conveyer 5. Slack in the sprocket chain 58' is taken up with an adjustable'idl'er 52.

In addition to driving the augers above-mentioned the sprocket chain 55 drives an auger 66 provided with a fixedly mounted sprocket wheel 68 which is driven in the same direction as the sprocket wheel 54 by' the chain 55, so that the auger BIS will move the fine'particles to the right and thus keep them separated to be left by the coarse particles discharged from the conveyer 5. The auger 66 is journaled in bearings 44 and Gland arranged longitudinally within a trough l8 provided with'upwardly di-' verging sides I2 for catching the fine particles of material which fall through the slots 22 and are directed to the trough II! by deflectors I4 supported by the sleeves '24, 28 and 38and extending longitudinally over the conveyers to prevent foreign matter from entering the uppermost opening 28, or finer material falling from the slots 22 from entering conveyers 2, 3 and 4-through their respective upper openings 28; The sprocket chain 55 is driven by a sprocket wheel I5 fixed upon a shaft I8 driven by a motor or other suit able means, not shown. The fine particles falling from the ends of the slots 22 ofthe conveyers'l, 2 and 3 are directed upon the adjacent deflectors I4 by chutes I9 secured to the downspouts 8, II] and I2.

A removable housing in the form of vertical walls I? is provided to coact with the deflectors I4 in directing the finer particles to the trough T2 and in preventing said particles from being blown away by the wind as they fall from the slots 22.

one of which is associated with each slot 22 as shown by Figs. 2 and 5. The agitators may be of any suitable form. In the present instance each comprises a roller journaled at its ends in bearings 82 carried by the standards 38. The efficiency of the agitators is increased by imparting a step by step reciprocatory motion thereto, the steps in one direction being longer than those in the reverse direction so that the agitators will eventually b turned complete revolutions and thus become uniformly worn around 1 their respective peripheries. The longer steps are preferably made in a reverse direction to th'at traveled'by the augers to overcome the tendency of the latter to carry the material upward. to oneside of the conveyers.

To accomplish the foregoing movements of the agitators 88 each is provided at one end with two fixedly mounted ratchet wheels 84 and 85, respectively, the teeth of one being reversed to the teeth of the other as shown by Figs. 6 and. 7 The ratchet wheel 84 is rotated step by step in one direction by a pawl 88 and the ratchet wheel 85 1s rotated step by step in a reverse direction by a pawl 98, which, during part of each stroke, is disengaged from the ratchet wheel 88 by a cam 92 fixed to the adjacent bearing 82. Thus it will be understood that the steps of the ratchet wheel 84 will be longer than those of the ratchet wheel 85 and result in the associated agitator being rotated a complete revolution by a number of such longer steps.

Each set of pawls 88, 98 are pivoted upon a transverse pin 94 fixed in a lever 96 rockably mounted at one end upon the hub'98 of the ratchet wheel 84. The levers 96 are pivoted to -a connecting rod 99 which is pivotally connected at its lower end to a pitman I88 operated by the sprocket wheel 64.

If only one unit like that shown by Figs. 1 and 2 is employed the parallel members It of the conveyers are adjusted to progressively inknown means may be provided for keeping the different sizes separate from each other. However, when a large number of separations are desired I prefer to employ a plurality of units, the slots of the first unit being adjusted for passage of only the smaller particles, the slots of the second unit being adjusted for passage of the next larger size, and so on according to the number of different sizes to be separated.

In practice the material is previously screened to remove particles too large for treatment by my apparatus. The screened particles are then fed to the hopper 8 from which they are moved by the uppermost auger I8 which spreads the material along the upper slot 22 and cooperates with the associated agitator 88 in separating the finer particles from the coarser so that the finer will fall through the uppermost slot 22 down into trough I8. The remaining particles are likewise treated in the conveyers 2, 3 and 4, from which the finer particles fall through the respective slots 22 to the trough I8 from which they are discharged'to the right by the auger 55, while the coarser particles are discharged to the left from tube 5by the auger I5.

From the foregoing description it is apparent that I have provided an apparatus for separating particles according to their difierent sizes, so that they may subsequently be more readily sorted according to their densities or specific gravities by either of my patented separators above-mentioned, and while I have shown the preferred form of the present invention I reserve all rights to such other forms and modificationsthereof as properly fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. Apparatus of the character described comprising a multiple of conveyers spaced one below another and all but the lowermost one having a longitudinal slot in its bottom portion for separating fine particles of material from coarser particles, augers forming parts of the respective conveyers for spreading the material along the slots, alternately arranged down-spouts each connecting the discharge end of one conveyer with the inlet end of the next conveyer, supporting means for said augers and the down-spouts, means for driving the augers, an agitator associated with each slot and journaled in the supporting means, and means for operating the agitators.

2. Apparatus of the character described comprising a pair of horizontally disposed parallel members of arcuate cross section spaced apart to leave a longitudinal opening between their upper margins and a longitudinal slot between their lower margins, said slot being adapted to separate fine particles of material from coarser particles, sleeves in which said parallel members are axially adjustable to vary the width of the slot, and a rotary auger housed between the parallel members and adapted to spread the material along the slot.

3. Apparatus of the character described comprising multiple pairs of horizontally disposed parallel members of arcuate cross section arranged one pair below another, each pair being spaced apart to leave a longitudinal opening between their upper margins and a longitudinal slot between their lower margins, said slot being adapted to separate fine particles of material from coarser particles, alternately arranged down-spouts connecting the discharge end of one pair of parallel members with the inlet end of the pair below, a rotary auger housed between each pair of parallel members to spread the material along the respective slots and convey the coarse particles to the down-spouts, a conveyer connected to the lowermost down-spout to conduct the coarse particles from the apparatus,

a trough arranged below said conveyer, and defiectors arranged longitudinally beneath the respective slots to deflect the fine particles falling therethrough into said trough.

4. Apparatus of the character described c0111- prising multiple pairs of horizontally disposed parallel members of arcuate cross section arranged one pair below another, each pair being spaced apart to leave a longitudinal opening between their upper margins and a longitudinal slot between their lower margins, said slot being adapted to separate fine particles of material from coarser particles, alternately arranged down-spouts connecting the discharge end of one pair of parallel members with the inlet end of the pair below, a rotary auger housed between each pair of parallel members to spread the material along the respective slots and convey the coarse particles to the down-spouts, sprocket mechanism for operating the augers, a conveyer connected to the lowermost down-spout to conduct the coarse particles from the apparatus, a trough arranged below said conveyer, deflectors arranged longitudinally beneath the respective slots to deflect the fine particles falling therethrough into said trough, and chutes projecting from the down-spouts to direct the fine particles falling from the ends of the slots upon said defiectors.

5. In apparatus of the character described, a pair of parallel members of arcuate cross section spaced apart to leave a longitudinal slot between their lower margins for the separation of fine particles of material from coarser particles, a rotary member housed between said parallel members to spread the particles along the slot and cooperate therewith in separating the particles, a roller arranged beneath said rotary member and projecting into the slot to cooperate with said rotary member in separating the particles, and means for operating said roller.

6. In apparatus of the character described, a pair of parallel members of arcuate cross section spaced apart to leave a longitudinal slot between their lower margins for the separation of fine particles of material from coarser particles, a rotary auger housed between said parallel members to spread the particles along the slot and cooperate therewith in separating the particles, a roller arranged beneath said rotary auger and projecting into the slot to cooperate with said rotary auger in separating the particles, means for turning said roller step by step in one direction, and means for turning said roller a less number of steps in the reverse direction.

CHARLES W. HERRIN. 

